NEW WORKS : NEW FUTURE
TILBURY WALKWAY OF MEMORIES
Tribute to the Windrush Generation and Legacy:
Evewright Arts Foundation (EAF) is pleased to announce that artist EVEWRIGHT will create
Tilbury Bridge Walkway of Memories a unique outdoor site specific Art Installation
at Tilbury Cruise Terminal
Essex between September - October 2020.
© Tilbury Walkway / EVEWRIGHT all rights reserved 2020.
This outdoor art and sound installation will be launched in Art Autumn and as part of Black History Month
as we emerge out of isolation to bring this important work to you. This has been a time to reflect on the
impact of Covid -19 and how, through this artwork, we respond to commemorate and memorialise the
lives of the Windrush Generation and their legacy.
The bridge will be a memory walk of images and documents installed on 552 panes of glass representing
the lives of Windrush pioneers and descendants.
The installation features
a
soundscape of new and existing audio stories that visitors can download on to their devices using QR codes. The Tilbury Bridge installation
will be used as a back drop to a series of live performances from selected artistic practitioners curated
by Artist EVEWRIGHT. The theme of 'Transition for renewal' will be explored through experimental drawing, sound, movement, and words.
Caribbean elders were once the key workers that kept the National Health Service, public transport and the factories working, a role which many of their descendants now fill. This period has sadly seen a significant loss of Caribbean elders and black key workers who have been disproportionately affected by the Covid-19 virus.
YOUR STORIES
Families of the Windrush generation will be invited to submit an image of their parents / grandparents or elders taken between the 1950's-1970's of key moments such as passport, wedding or photographs in their work uniforms. The hi-resolution image should be sent with 50 words including the person's name and career. They will form part of the artist's installation on the bridge so that their lives can be commemorated. The call out will be launched online on Windrush Day June 22nd. For advanced information on how you can submit your images please send an email to
[email protected]
EVEWRIGHT developed the original
Caribbean Takeaway Takeover to create
Tilbury Bridge Walkway of Memories a new installation brought to Tilbury Port an iconic location which has an historic significance to the black community. This artwork is a unique statement memorialising the lives of those that carried their British passports proudly with hope and expectation as they passed through the original walkway where SS Empire Windrush passengers, in 1948 arrived.
They were the first post war wave of British colonial citizens to disembark from the passenger ship at Tilbury Cruise Terminal and this location is symbolic of the many that followed that journey to the UK.
© Key worker NHS Nurse / EVEWRIGHT all rights reserved 2020.
Strategy for the Future
As part of EAF's new development and online strategy Arts Council England (ACE) has awarded our organisation Emergency Response Funding that will help support our sustainability. This will be an exciting phase where we can broaden our reach to new audiences. We are passionate to seek out, find and preserve valuable untold stories from marginalised Black communities. We will present them across multiple online platforms and settings in an innovative and engaging way to reach people from young and older generations in spaces and
settings where they can experience art that is relevant to their lives
. We value the importance of our community telling their stories in their own voice.
EAF has been awarded a Windrush Day Grant from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to contribute to the
Tilbury Walkway of Memories installation. This amazing outdoor site-specific art and sound project aim to educate, celebrate and commemorate the lives of Windrush Pioneers and will be available for the public to share and enjoy.
EAF Creative Artistic Director EVEWRIGHT ( Everton Wright ) said:
"It is a delight to continue the development of our Caribbean Takeaway Takeover series. Over the past 3 years we have put a spotlight on the lives of our Windrush elders and will continue to collect and tell their stories and those of their descendants particularly in this unusual period of the Covid-19 Pandemic which brings its own challenges. My dear mother Clarice Agatha Reid a Windrush elder who took part in the installation with her stories, passed away in April. It a timely reminder that It's more important than ever that we preserve our elders' stories, before they are gone, to commemorate their legacy and their contribution to British Society. Love You Mum."
© Clarice Agatha Reid Caribbean Takeaway Takeover / EVEWRIGHT all rights reserved 2020.
Communities Secretary Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP said:
"...we are a better country for the central role British Caribbean communities have played in post-war Britain. British Caribbean communities have made Britain a better, more prosperous country in so many ways.
They have made an incredible contribution to their country."
Paul Dale, Asset and Site Director at The Port of Tilbury said:
"Forth Ports is privileged to be part of the Windrush history through its connection with the arrival of The SS Empire Windrush at The Port of Tilbury on the 22nd June 1948. The EVEWRIGHT exhibition will be displayed on the passenger footbridge down to the Tilbury Ferry, and will be of keen interest to those wishing to understand more about this part of our local history."
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We would like to thank all our partners and funders. This was only made possible thanks to public funding from the National Lottery through Arts Council England, MHCLG Central Government funding and the following organisations: Forth Ports Tilbury,
Thurrock CVS, One Community Trust, Tilbury on the Thames, ACME studios, Tilbury Riverside studio and our staff and volunteers
.
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Want to Get Involved? - CALL OUT FOR VOLUNTEERS.
1-7 June is Volunteer week. A chance to recognise and say thank you to our volunteers and people interested
in supporting our organisation.
Are you interested in working on this exciting installation, our online and social media campaign
and taking part in events? This role would be flexible hours, one day a week initially from home and would suit a student currently needing some experience to help with their projects/work experience, media students, creatives, people interested in Black history with skills to help deliver this amazing project. To find out more email
[email protected] for a copy of the Job description and return your CV with a short statement saying why you think you are suitable. Deadline for applications is 21th June.
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Art Eats Youth Mural
EVEWRIGHT will deliver four online workshop sessions in June for a new mural that will be developed together with young people in Ipswich. The theme for the mural will be Heroes & Power, inspired by MARVEL's Black Panther film.
EVEWRIGHT said: "The Black Panther film is loved by many young people, and it came from the original Black Panther movement, which was about black people helping and educating themselves and their children. So in the making of the mural project, I'm guiding young people across all ethnicities to explore 'power'; who holds the power, self-empowerment, the idea of 'hero' and what today's heroes look like.
"Emory Douglas created a lot of the Black Panther posters, and I loved his posters when I was a kid. I'm now a graphic artist by training, so young people will look at graphics and art of that time, and come up with a mural that represents not only the message of what was going on then, but also how we can dovetail messages relevant to present times, including that of current events, triggered by the killing of George Floyd.
"The mural will be youth-led message - and I want young people to get involved in painting that message
on the wall."
© EVEWRIGHT all rights reserved 2020.
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© I Can't Breathe / Photo Etching EVEWRIGHT all rights reserved 2020.
would like to express solidarity and
our deep condolences to the family of George Floyd for his death due to the continued violence and police brutality against black people in the United States. In the UK we unfortunately have a history of inequality
and discrimination.
The Runnymede Trust
commissioned a report last year
Stephen Lawrence inquiry:
20 years on.
Their findings show that
" there needs to be a renewed focus on institutions as recommended
in the Lawrence Inquiry report. This includes the police, but also all public, private and charitable institutions,
who must continuously guard against policies and practices that would deny fair treatment and outcomes for Britain's 8 million black and minority ethnic (BME) people."
The report also recommended the
" need for more accurate teaching of Britain's diverse history and our
place in the world. "
EAF through our work seeks to promote, peace and tolerance. We recognise the importance of black voices being represented in our work by us telling our own stories to deepen shared understanding of migration fostering a greater sense of belonging from people of many backgrounds. We aim to be a voice to challenge mainstream institutions, so under-represented black artists within the art sector can access creative opportunities to share equally in the creative community, culture and arts in the UK.
COVID-19
We will continue to monitor and follow government guidance on the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing
to ensure the safety of our staff and visitors to
our outdoor events and other activities.
More details to come as government guidance on Covid-19 and social distancing advice continue to ease the lockdown.
Keep up to date with the latest information about our Tilbury Windrush Project, online artists events,
Artist Studio Tour and things to do online during this lockdown,
through our regular newsletter.
Let us know if your contact details change so you will never miss a mailout and share this information with friends and family to sign up to our newsletters. You can also follow us on social media and website See links below.
For further
information please contact:
Email:
[email protected]
or Tel: +44 (0) 8450 542 305
www.evewright.com/eaf
follow EVEWRIGHT on Twitter:
@evewrightstudio
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